French-American Innovation Midwest 2019

French Consul General in Chicago

Guillaume Lacroix became Consul General of France in Chicago on August 29th, 2017. He holds diplomas from Institut d’études politiques de Paris and Université Panthéon-Assas. He speaks Swahili, a language he studied at Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales in Paris and in Zanzibar, Tanzania. He started his diplomatic career in 1997. He was assigned to the Department of African and Indian Ocean Affairs in Paris, then to the French Embassy in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and to the French Embassy in Washington. He was also posted in two other diplomatic institutions: at the U.S. State Department as part of the Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellow program and at the European External Action Service in Brussels. From 2013 until 2017, he served in the cabinets of French Foreign Affairs Ministers Laurent Fabius and Jean-Marc Ayrault as Counsellor for African Affairs. Guillaume Lacroix was born in 1971 in Auxerre (Burgundy). He is married and has two children.

French Former Figure Skating Olympian and Current Professional Skating Coach

Surya Bonaly, born on December 15, 1973 in Nice, France, is a French-American former figure skater who competed for France. She was the 1991 World Junior Champion, a three-time World silver medalist (1993–1995), a six-time European champion (1991–1996), a ten-time French national champion (1989–1997), a two-time Goodwill Games champion, a three-time Olympian: 1992, 1994 and 1998. Surya was the first and only female skater ever to do a back flip and land on one foot, titled The Bonaly, at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Surya has had a long professional career traveling all over the world and had the chance to perform in the best skating shows like Stars on Ice, Holiday on Ice and fifteen years with Champions on Ice (Tom Collins Tour) all over United States. Additionally, Surya was on several television shows in the United States and France and she is an Ambassador for Peace and Sport (well-known figures who are recognized for the excellence of their commitment to peace and sport in the world).
Surya has lived in the United States since 1998 and spends her time between Las Vegas, NV and Minneapolis, MN where she still lives her passion by coaching young athletes.

Professional Skating Coach

Peter Biver is a U.S. National & International (Poland) coach. He is a former National competitor, three-time Sectional competitor and two-time Regional Medalist in pairs. Peter is also a six-time U.S. Figure Skating (USFS) Gold Medalist in Moves, Freestyle, Pairs, Compulsory Dance, Partnered Free Dance & Solo Free Dance. He offers professional skating instruction in these disciplines to determined skaters of all ages and abilities. He is the coach of multiple USFS Gold Medalists in Moves, Freestyle, Pairs and Dance as well as Regional, Sectional, National and International Competitors. Peter follows a holistic approach to coaching by focusing on the complete development of each skater's personal potential as an athlete and artist. Peter was trained by several Olympians, including Elena Valova, the 1984 Olympic Champion in pairs.
Peter was also coached by Olympians Karen Courtland-Kelly, U.S. National medalist, and Andrew Naylor, British pairs champion. Peter believes in the power of education and continues to hone skating technique by attending national and international coaching clinics and seminars in order to bring out the most in each of his students. He has successfully coached and partnered hundreds of USFS tests in moves, freestyle, pairs and ice dancing at all levels. Peter also specializes in the Fishing Pole Harness.

Small Lot Wine - French Portfolio Director

Kristin curates the French portfolio for Small Lot Wine, a MN-based wine importer. She is dedicated to sharing the stories of family-owned wineries in France with the MN community.

Associate Director, International Career Development Programs Department, FACC-New York

Kristin Young has been with the FACC-NY since July 2012 and manages their International Career Development Programs Department (ICDP). Kristin has dedicated her career to the international exchange community and is a specialist in Exchange Visitor programs and immigration law. Kristin is an active member of the Alliance for International Exchange and a member of a U.S. Department of State working group to exchange on best practices in culture exchange programs with a diplomatic mission.

‘Discover the Exchange Visitor/VIE Program’
Given the increased focus on globalization within business, our "Discover the Exchange Visitor/VIE Program" is more relevant than ever! Experts will discuss the latest developments in the Exchange Visitor Intern and Trainee programs, and provide great tips and resources for international recruitment, diversifying your team, and the streamlined visa application process.

FACC Minnesota, Executive Director

Odile is a dual citizen and was appointed as executive director of the FACCMN in September 2016.
Odile has an extensive career in International Business Development. She started in export sales at KOMAR & Cie after graduation and was recruited by Kawasaki Heavy Industries to assist Kobe technical management with the Euro Tunnel negotiations. When she moved to Minnesota, she took a position as Director of International Business Development for a well-established Minnesota chemical company and traveled extensively for 12 years. When her son Charles was born, Odile took a position as International Trade Specialist for the State of Minnesota. She was responsible for Trade Development and Foreign Direct Investment, provided market intelligence, business contacts and hosted foreign delegations. During that time, she contributed to International Programs at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and was a consultant for expatriate programs at Windows on the World. Odile eventually went back to France to be nearer to her aging parents and worked as Chargée de Mission for Continental France until she moved back to Minnesota after her parents passing.
Odile has a master’s degree in International Business Development and Translation/Interpretation. She is passionate about education and language learning. Aside from the US & France, Odile went to school in South Africa, Germany and Belgium.

‘AMERICAN OUTBOUND PROGRAM (Work Abroad)’
Interested in using your French skills in your future career? Please join the French-American Chamber of Commerce for an informative presentation filled with tips and resources to help you discover opportunities available to you to work, teach, and study in France. In today’s globalized economy, language skills and international experiences can make your resume more attractive to hiring companies. After this presentation, students will be equipped with all of the resources and programs available to make their international career goals a reality.

Regional Trade Manager, Minnesota Trade Office

Steve Riedel is the Regional Trade Manager for Western Europe and for environmental & energy industries. He assists Minnesota companies find and succeed in new global markets.

Minnesota and France – A Brief Overview of Trade and Investment
Minnesota and France have a broad trade and investment relationship covering many sectors of the economy. This presentation offers a summary of that relationship, references key companies active in each respective market, and points Minnesota exporters to a key resource for export assistance with France and other global markets.

Manager, Business Investment Greater MSP – The Minneapolis-Saint Paul Economic Development Partnership

In his role at GREATER MSP, Anders works with regional partners to accelerate business attraction, expansion, and retention efforts in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Region. GREATER MSP and the network of over 100 partnership organizations are committed to making relevant connections and providing guidance for businesses considering expansion to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Region. Before joining GREATER MSP, Anders studied Public Policy at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Anders is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional and member of the International Economic Development Council.) https://www.greatermsp.org/

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul Region: Leading the way to the future
The vision for Minneapolis-Saint Paul is to lead the world in inclusive economic growth by welcoming all, empowering talent & igniting innovation. Within the larger vision, the GREATER MSP Partnership’s mission is to accelerate regional competitiveness and inclusive economic growth through job creation, capital investment & execution of strategic initiatives. As such, GREATER MSP and partners are eager to share our regional story and work with businesses considering expansion to the United States.

Interim President & CEO, Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA)

Lisa Schlosser is the interim president of the Minnesota High Tech Association. Lisa has served several terms as a member of MHTA’s board of directors and recently was board chair. She has more than 30 years of experience in the technology industry, including as the vice president and chief technology officer for FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters business. Lisa received a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in mathematics and computer science. She is also on the board of trustees for the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Anita Borg Institute.

Director, Minnesota Cup (MN Cup)

Jessica Berg is the Director of Minnesota Cup, leading strategy, operations and partnerships for the competition. She is the only full time employee of MN Cup, and manages a team of student interns and external service providers to execute the competition's events and programs. Prior to joining MN Cup in 2017, Jessica spent ten years in business development and product strategy roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Fredrikson & Byron. She co-founded and runs a women's networking organization in the Twin Cities called WomenConnect. She currently serves as interim board co-chair of Forge North, a coalition of Minnesota leaders seeking to serve entrepreneurs and make Minnesota the problem-solving capital of the new economy. She's a native of Edina, Minnesota, and holds a BA from Emory University in International Communications.

Operations Manager and Chief of Staff, University of Minnesota Technology Commercialization

As the Operations Manager in the Technology Commercialization office, Carol Grutkoski oversees a staff of eight people who are responsible for contract compliance, patent and IP management, government reporting of inventions and software tools used by the office. In her role as Chief of Staff, Carol provides data analytics and reports, participates in strategic planning and project management. She joined Technology Commercialization to launch their technology marketing website after a software development career at large companies such as Unisys, United HealthCare and Symantec. Carol has a degree in Computer Science from Michigan Technological University.

‘UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER & STARTUP PROCESSES’
Do you know that the University of Minnesota's Technology Commercialization office executed over 600 licenses last year? Come learn about the technology transfer approach and startup processes used by Tech Comm to make this happen.

Sr. Fellow and Gemini Chair in Technology Management, U of M Technological Leadership Institute (TLI)

Kirk holds the Gemini Chair in Technology Management at the University of Minnesota’s Technological Leadership Institute. He also serves as co-Principal Investigator for MIN-Corps, UMN’s NSF Innovation Corps Site. Prior to joining TLI, Kirk spent 27 years in senior talent management, leadership development and organization effectiveness roles at HP, Silicon Graphics, Yahoo!, Agilent Technologies and Ecolab. The common theme throughout Kirk’s career has been helping technical professionals become more effective innovation leaders.

‘MIN-Corps: Supporting Applied Innovation and Entrepreneurship Across the U of M’
MIN-Corps is the University of Minnesota site for the National Science Foundation I-Corps program. We provide commercialization education and coaching programs that help STEM students, postdocs and faculty develop the mindset, toolset, skill set and network required to explore the commercial potential of their ideas/IP and translate their innovations into product and services with real-world impact.

Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota

As a Professor of Educational Psychology and Child Psychology at the University of Minnesota, Scott McConnell’s research focuses primarily on preschool-aged children, and the skills and competencies that will enable them to learn and participate in school and other settings. He and his colleagues at IGDILab are developing and testing applications for Individual Growth and Development Indicators of language and early literacy development for preschoolers. Some of this research has been licensed to Early Learning Labs, Inc. for commercial distribution.

‘FROM CAMPUS TO COMPANY – ONE GROUP’S EXPERIENCE OF COMMERCIALIZATION’
As a group, we hope our research is practical and helps teachers solve problems that, in turn, help them better serve their students. To do that, we want teachers to have access to our tools. "The market" -- commercial distribution -- is one way to do that. This presentation will present some of the lessons we've learned as we've gone from academic research to start-up.

COO, Mobility4All

Sebastien handles business planning, investor relations and finance. He is a world traveled Francophile with extensive executive experience in the luxury goods industry. Most recently he was the GM and VP for Global Sales of a luxury tableware company. Prior to that he served as Executive Director of the French American Chamber of Commerce in Minneapolis. He is a sharp dresser who lives in Edina with his wife – an opera singer – and their two children.

Co-Founder & CEO, Healthe

Co-Founder & CEO of Healthe. Healthe works in collaboration with the eye and healthcare community, electronic manufacturers and standards organizations to develop health-first technologies, standards and products. Healthe is a global supplier of Eyesafe® blue light filtering technology for the world's leading device manufacturers, developed in partnership with leading optometrists and ophthalmologists. The Eyesafe RPF® or Retina Protection Factor rating corresponds to the amount of blue light energy filtered.

CEO of Open Therapeutics LLC

Jerome Hamilton, CEO of Open Therapeutics, leads the company's scale and global expansion, as well as manages business development, sales, marketing, and investor relations. He joined Open Therapeutics after serving as Stratasys’ Senior Vice President of Global Operations, before which he was Vice President of LEAN Six Sigma Operations, Corporate Quality and Acquisition Integration for 3M. There, he played a major role in devising strategy and operational plans for the company’s largest business group, Industrial Business Group. He also led the company’s Masking and Surface Protection Business with full P&L responsibility. Hamilton received his Bachelor of General Science from Morehouse College, his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, Master of Science in Engineering Management from University of Detroit, Mercy; and Master of Science for International Logistics from Georgia Tech; he is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School. Hamilton is Chairman of the Board, Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota and a Board Member of V2SOFT an information technology and software company in Bloomfield Hills, MI. He was listed in the 2014 Savoy Magazine list of Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America and was recognized as one of the Top 50 diversity professionals in industry– Global Diversity List, supported by The Economist, (globaldiversitylist.com). In the coming months Open Therapeutics will provide to global researchers, a crowdsourcing web platform that will freely host available open pharma and medical technologies to global researchers. Scientists can freely adopt the open technologies and develop manuscripts on the science they conduct around the technologies.

About Open Therapeutics™LLC
Open Therapeutics™ is a seven-year old company that curates and develops therapeutic and pharma technologies. Among the technologies being freely opened and crowdsourced to the global community are essential proteins for developing antibiotic and anticancer therapeutics, immunotherapy and oncolytics, and biomarker inducers. The Company is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio with laboratory operations in Covington, Kentucky, USA, and Madrid, Spain via its strategic partner, Bacmine SL, (www.bacmine.com).

Founder, Pack 3.0

From aerospace (Dassault Aviation), to automotive (Valeo), to consumer packaged goods (L’Oreal, General Mills), Serge has over 20 years of experience implementing digital simulation technology for different industries, including 10 years at Danone where he served as head of the digital simulation department. Serge holds a degree in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and a PhD in Digital Simulation from Ecole des Mines de Paris, France.

“The packaging industry has never been more ready to fully benefit from the advantages of the digital simulation. Whether you work in marketing, design, R&D, purchasing, industrial, logistics or quality assurance, you will be amazed how this technology pushes the boundaries of innovation and performance.” - Serge Batkam, Founder, Pack 3.0

Technology Senior Operating Executive - Timmaron

Barbara career offers a unique blend of leadership, spanning executive positions in the Fortune 25 to early stage and mid- cap companies. In leading revenue organizations for Hewlett Packard, Oracle and Cisco, transitioning and transforming mid-cap technology firms through their exits at i2 Technologies, SumTotal, a Vista Equity firm, to working with, and investing in early stage technology firms, she enjoys contributing to growth and innovation to her work.
Areas of special interest and expertise are in applying sophisticated technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, into vertical markets and developing industry solutions for high tech, global supply chain, manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, and agriculture.
Timmaron Group brings top operators who have served across technologies and industry specific senior roles, working on challenging issues companies face, with strategic and operational expertise. More can be found at: www.timmarongroup.com.
Barb has served as executive chairman, chairman, head of strategy, nomination & governance, compensation and special committees, along with being the independent director at: American Multiplexer Corporation (NYSE), Sum Total Systems(NASDAQ), i2 Technologies (NASDAQ), Altus 365 (private), and the Bill Norris Foundation, a technology fund for emerging technologies at the University of St. Thomas. She is an active investor, one of the founding partners for Sofia Fund, an early stage fund focused on women led technology companies, AUXtc, a fund focused on technologies in the mobile market, and is very involved in community organizations such as Minnesota Emerging Software Advisory (MESA), leading the Chief Executive Council of Silicon Valley, and is fellow certified as part of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Barb graduated from University of Wisconsin with degrees in Computer Science and International Business.
Barb spends time both in Minneapolis and in her home base in Santa Cruz. She serves on the non-profit boards of AidMatrix, SMILE Network and on Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT).

Senior Consultant; former partner, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Michael J. Remington has over four decades of experience in intellectual property law (copyrights, trademarks, patents and semiconductor chip mask works), and legal reform, having served in both the public and private sectors. In public service, Mike was counsel for the Committee on the Judiciary and chief counsel of the Judiciary Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Intellectual Property and Judicial Administration; in this capacity, he participated in the enactment of over twenty public laws related to intellectual property. Now retired from law practice, he previously represented clients such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Legal Reform, a performing rights organization comprising thousands of songwriters, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, a standards-setting coalition of information technology companies, and a coalition of inventors and small businesses. A former Peace Corps Volunteer in Cote d’Ivoire where he worked on rural construction, and a Fulbright Scholar in Paris, France, during which he was a stagiaire (intern) at the Tribunal Administratif de Paris and the Conseil d’État; on a personal note, Mike has a Francophile family (wife, Francoise), and children (Cecile, Elise and Christophe). As a consultant to the World Intellectual Property Organization, The Asia Foundation, USAID and the United Nations in Asia (most recently in China and South Korea) and South America (Brazil and Venezuela), he has lectured about intellectual property and likewise as an active member of the Union Internationale des Avocats, in France, Spain, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Mike received his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, taught at George Mason University School of Law and Columbus School of Law, Catholic University, has numerous publications, and has received awards and recognitions.

‘INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION’
Today, more than ever, it is critical for startups to develop an IP strategy because it provides a strong base for future growth, expansion and investment. Michael J. Remington will discuss patents, copyrights and trade secrets, which are at the foundation of innovation; the role of university and non-profit research and an important technology transfer U.S. law (the Bayh-Dole Act) that has successfully spawned startups and small businesses nationwide; his belief in a positive future; the importance of conferences like French-American Innovation Midwest.

Practice Director, Sales & Marketing, Randstad Professionals

A long-time friend of and volunteer at the French American Chamber of Commerce, Thierry Ajas runs the Sales & Marketing Practice of Randstad Professionals in the Twin Cities, a search firm that he joined in 2012. He spent 13 years in sales & account management roles of increasing responsibilities with global logistics providers such as Kintetsu World Express or C.H. Robinson prior to joining Randstad. Focusing exclusively on direct hire/permanent searches, Thierry has placed over 150 candidates in Sales & Marketing roles in the supply chain & logistics, high-tech, agricultural and manufacturing industry sectors, generating $1.5M+ in placement fees over the past 6 and a half years. He recently started a part-time MBA at the Carlson School of Management with a focus on entrepreneurship.

Global Market Developer, SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions

John Peichel is a Global Market Developer at SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions located in Minnetonka, MN. He has over 28 years of experience in industrial water treatment. During his career, he has worked in Engineering, Sales, and Product Management. Currently, Mr. Peichel is responsible for research and development of new markets involving advanced filtration and separation technologies with a focus on membranes. His experience includes all aspects of new product innovation, development and commercialization. A MN native and Physics major from St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN, he lives with his wife and 2 daughters in Chaska, Minnesota.

SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions is global industrial water treatment products, systems and services provider with approximately 10,000 employees, €2.5bn in annual revenue and part of SUEZ headquartered in Paris, France with nearly 90,000 employees, €17bn annual revenue. Our facility in Minnetonka, MN employs over 500 people and our site has been delivering innovation in water for 50 years at this location. We are honored to be able share our story of people, products and innovation and the resulting career path opportunities in our business.

Canada Channel Manager, Microsoft Fargo

Born and raised in France, Alice started her career in technology at HPE in Paris while pursuing her Masters’ Degree at Paris Dauphine University. She relocated to the East Coast in 2013 as a Project Manager for the North American Market, and in 2017 joined Microsoft in Fargo, ND as a Partner Development Manager. She currently leads the renewal business for small and medium enterprises through key partners in Canada.

Microsoft Fargo – A World of Opportunities
At Microsoft Fargo, we seek to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. To that end, we are looking for talented individuals to join our team. From sales roles, to customer success, support, research and development, partnership development, and engineering roles, we have opportunities for all types of skills, and seek highly motivated candidates looking to make a difference, with a growth mindset. Come discover what our incredible Microsoft Fargo site has to offer!

Inside Sales Manager, Microsoft Fargo

Tara was born and raised in Valley City, ND. She graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead, in December of 2001, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology and Social Work. Tara held a nearly 15-year career as a law enforcement officer before joining the US Inside Sales Center in October of 2015 as a Sales Development Specialist. Tara currently manages a team of Demand Response Inside Sales Representatives who drive sales in the SMB space.

Director of Membership & Sponsorship, MHTA

Ray Hoover is responsible for carrying MHTA’s mission statement to members (and potential members) by facilitating thousands of meaningful connections between startups, fortune 500 companies, technology professionals, students, government agencies, and institutes of higher learning through MHTA’s respected programs and services, educational opportunities and networking events. Ray previously worked for Hennepin County and has a strong background in data analysis. Ray is a graduate of St. Cloud State University.